EMU reports enrollment uptick, outlines downtown event and community partnerships

Eastern Mennonite University interim president Dr. Shanna Dicus told members of the Harrisonburg City Council liaison committee that EMU is 15% ahead of last year’s enrollment, finished one of its strongest recent fundraising years and is expanding community-facing programs, including the university’s fourth annual Royals Go Downtown event on Sept. 25.

The update matters to Harrisonburg because EMU leaders said the university’s students, alumni and programs are intertwined with the city’s workforce, downtown economy and services for immigrant residents. City and university officials discussed ways to deepen partnerships around events, workforce training, English-language instruction and interpreter certification.

“We're 15% ahead of where we were last year,” Dicus said, describing an increase in applications and yield after enrollment declines in recent years. She told the committee EMU is prioritizing marketing and advancement work to sustain gains and expand access through fundraising for student aid.

EMU described recent campus investments and programming that intersect with city planning and recreation. Dicus and other university leaders highlighted a new track-and-field facility and recently built pickleball and tennis courts on Park Road, which they said have increased community use of the…